Headlight



Mar. 13, 1923.

C. H. MONTA-G U E HEADLIGHT Filed Sept. 28,- 1921 I gwuentoz wlrgz/z.

anion @211 Patented Mar. 13, 1923.

CARROLL H. MONTAGUE, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

HEADLIGHT.

Application filed September 28, 1921. Serial No. 503,757.

To 117/ w/mm if may concern Be it known that I, Cannon. H. MON- 'IAGIE. a citizen of the United States. residing at Richmond, in the countyot' llenrico and State oi Virginia. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Headlights; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to vehicle lamps and is an improvement upon that species of lamp wherein the parabolic reflector is so arrai'igcd, as to throw the rays emanating from a source of light to one side only, and downwardly, of a vehicle, and as described in my pending application Serial No. 34.9528. tiled January 6, 1920.

The object of my invention is to provide a movable shield, controlled from the vehicle by the driver, and by means of which, the light rays may be interrupted at the will of the driver. and prevented from shining in the face of the driver of an approaching vehicle. Y

In order that my invention may be understood, I have illustrated it in the accompanying drawing, and described it in the more specifically pointed out in the appended claims. i

In the drawing.

Fig. 1 is-a side view at a lamp having. my improved shield and a means for operating the same.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of my lamp taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional side view showing the downward tilt of the reflector.

Fig. 4 is a front view of the lamp with my improved shield in operative position.

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the shield in inoperative position.

It is to be understood, in my improved system of lighting the road, in l ront'of' a moving vehicle, wherein the light rays are permanently directed to one side of the road and downwardly, that the driver has the right to illuminatethat side of the road, as brilliantly as he may desire, as at no time should there be another vehicle approaching from that direction.

This being true, it is not desirable or necfollowing specification. the invention being essary to dim the entire light at any time, and indeed it is of the utmost importance that the driver should have all the light possible and at all times, upon that portion of the road over which 'he is immediately moving.

In my improved construction of vehicle lamps, the rays of light are. as has been stated, concentrated upon one side only of the road, but although the light center and reflector are so arranged as to accomplish this, there are still enough light rays which project in front of the vehicle and are. of enough brillia-ncy to cause .trouble' to the driver of an approaching vehicle. It is the purpose of my present invention to obviate this effect. and to arrange an opaque shield. pivotally mounted, and operable by a driver,

to enable him in an instant to swing the shield in front of the source of light, thus cutting off those light rays which would otherwise project into the face of a driver of an approaching vehicle, but which at the same time, will not interfere at all with the main stream of light which continues to brilliantly illuminate the portion of the road over which the vehicle bearing the lamp has the right of way. and which it is very necessary should be flooded with as much light as possible.

Referring to the drawings. 1 is an or dinary lamp casing in which there is mounted an ordinary parabolic reflector 2. The reflector is so mounted within the casing, that it reflects the rays of light from the source ot light 3, to one side at an angle of approximately eight degrees and downwardly at an angle of approximately three degrees. I do not, of course, limit myself to the specific number of degrees, but I have and downwardly.-

A device such as a set screw 6. passes through the rear wall of the reflector. and holds the reflector upon the cam-shaped ring 4. Any desirable lens 7 may be placed in the lamp casing.

8 represents a shield or shutter, which is constructed of opaque sheet material, may be of any desired shape,.and of such dimensions as to be immediately in front. when in operative position, of the source of light. The shield 8 is mounted on a rod 9 which is swiveled near its outer end in the lamp casing as clearly shown in Figs. at and 5.

Any desired means may be employed for operating the shield from the vehicle, and in this instance, I provide the outer end of the rod 9 with a lever arm 10 and to the outer end ofthe arm 10, is attached a longitudinally extending rod 11, which extends back under the hood of an automobile (not shown) and through the dash of the vehicle body, and is provided with a handle 12 having notches 13. which are adapted to be engaged by a transverse pin, or its equivalent, to hold the device in a desired position.

The operation of the apparatus is obvious. The shield is normally in the position shown in Fig. and in which its edgeis presented to the source of light, and no rays of light will be intercepted. Upon meeting a vehicle, however. the driver seizes the handle 12, and retracts the rod 11, which operating the lever arm 10, rotates the rod 9 and turns the shield so as to shut off the ays of light emanating directly in front of the vehicle, but does not interfere with the strong light rays concentrated to one side of the path of the vehicle, or the downwardly projecting rays.

hat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A motor vehicle headlight including a casing, means for fixing-said casing upon the front of a vehicle, a parabolic reflector member arranged in said casing, a source of light in said reflector member, a lens member for said casing. means fixing said retlector permanently in position to cause the rays from said source of light to be constantly directed forwardly, downwardly and to one side only of the path of movement claim 1 in which the movable means in eludes a shaft arranged radially relatively to said source of light and extending through said casing and reflector, a sector-shaped shield fixed to said shaft and arranged within the reflector. and means for operating said shaft. l l

In testimony whereofl my signature.

CARROLL n. MON'TAGUE. 

